Abid Hussain

Corporate Governance and Complaints Law
Attorney, Managing Member | Hussain Law LLC

Kimberley Singletary

Craig Mulcahy PHOTOGRAPH

My Toughest Case: Finding Compromises Among the Angry

643 Magazine St. | Suite 102 | (888) 789-7250

If you run a startup, a tech company or any small business in New Orleans, Abid Hussain is a name you should know.

A solo law practitioner with 10 years of corporate law experience in both Louisiana and Texas, Hussain specializes in counseling businesses in order to keep them out of trouble and out of court.

“In small businesses, you typically have entrepreneurs doing a fair amount of multitasking,” he says. “By their very nature, roles and responsibilities tend to be so diverse that critical business issues can get overlooked, and sometimes those issues can land you in legal trouble.”

Hussain is well versed with the problems of the tech world and startups, having worked in both. He grew up in Queens, New York, then headed to the West Coast and lived and worked at software companies and law firms in various parts of the country before settling in New Orleans five years ago. “I went straight into high tech," he says, "holding web development and a variety of marketing and web-related positions.”

After eight years, Hussain returned to law and now has an office at Launchpad. “I work primarily with companies that have been in existence from two to five years,” he says. “At that point these companies are typically experiencing the kind of growth where they understand that they need a business lawyer.”

When asked about his toughest case, Hussain says it’s too hard to choose. “Every situation is tricky,” he says. “Whenever there’s a negotiation where someone on the other side is really angry, my strength is in arriving at a good compromise. I’ve been on both sides of difficult issues, so I can use that experience to help form a positive outcome for both parties, and often one that avoids costly litigation when possible."

Hussain says legal services to small business have changed with the internet. “Thanks to things like Rocket Lawyer, Google and a lot of other online tools, you can get a simple lease or operating agreement online.

"The internet has minimized the simple stuff," he says. "It has also, however, created a real danger for small businesses who may not know the nuances of agreements they’re executing. If you don't know how to navigate those nuances, you'll find yourself on the other side of a costly legal dispute. At that point, you're being reactive instead of proactive, and your young business is in danger. Those that stay in business are proactive, and that's where I can be most helpful."

10 years in practice
B.A. – University of California at Berkley, Legal Studies, 1993
J.D. – University of Oregon, 1998
Native of Queens, New York